Southfields hospital director Lee White and operations manager Sarah Stam at a recent reopening celebration for the Basildon animal hospital.
Southfields Hospital Fully Reopens Nearly Two Years After Fire
1 month ago 
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The team at a leading referral hospital have celebrated the state-of-the-art building’s full reopening after a fire at a neighbouring site forced its closure last year.
Southfields Veterinary Specialists, in Basildon, Essex, closed its doors in April 2024 when an adjacent building caught fire.
People and patients were immediately evacuated from Southfields, which is part of Linnaeus, with everyone unharmed and patients moved to nearby practices for continued treatment.
The building suffered widespread damage and was forced to close its doors while repairs were being carried out.
Now, the team at Southfields have waved goodbye to the last of their temporary portacabin offices and have seen their dog and cat wards, along with the full suite of consultation rooms, open their doors again, so the whole site is operating at full capacity.
Following a special event to celebrate the full reopening, Southfields hospital director Lee White, who joined the team earlier this year having previously worked in human healthcare, said: “It’s been a slow process to fully reopen as we wanted to ensure the hospital was in perfect condition once more, so our patients continued to access the best possible care at Southfields.
“I can’t thank the team enough for their dedication, patience and resilience. I also want to thank the emergency services for their response to the fire.
“We’re so pleased Southfields has fully reopened, it has been a real team effort to get to this point. This is an exciting new chapter for the hospital – and for me as its new director.”
While pets were taken care of at nearby practices and animal hospitals during Southfields’ closure, team members were also supported through the aftermath of the fire.
The hospital’s senior leadership team offered support including wellbeing days and ‘walk and talk’ teambuilding exercises.
Despite the challenges, the Southfields team continued to show their resilience and dedication to the community by raising money for charity.
They worked with colleagues from fellow Linnaeus-owned veterinary hospital Veterinary Specialists Scotland (VSS) in Livingston to support Comic Relief. It saw the teams run, walk or cycle a total of 401 miles – the exact distance between the two leading veterinary centres.
Lee added: “During the closure, I know the everyone pulled together to make sure both staff and patients were fully supported.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our inspirational team and we’re all now looking forward to being at full capacity and working with colleagues from across the country as we head into 2026.”
Southfields opened its 40,000 sq ft Basildon hospital in 2023, making it one of the largest and best-equipped veterinary centres in the UK, with seven operating theatres, 16 consultation rooms, recovery suites, lecture halls, a dedicated ICU department and plans for a future hydrotherapy suite.
Southfields offers specialist services such as anaesthesia and analgesia, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, exotics, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, radiation and soft tissue surgery.
For more information about the hospital, go to www.southfields.co.uk or search Southfields Veterinary Specialists on social media.
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